A microbiota-directed complementary food intervention in 12-18-month-old Bangladeshi children improves linear growth

Ishita Mostafa; Matthew C. Hibberd; Steven J. Hartman; Md Hasan Hafizur Rahman; Mustafa Mahfuz; S. M. Tafsir Hasan; Per Ashorn; Michael J. Barratt; Tahmeed Ahmed; Jeffrey I. Gordon

doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105166

A microbiota-directed complementary food intervention in 12-18-month-old Bangladeshi children improves linear growth

Ishita Mostafa, Matthew C. Hibberd, Steven J. Hartman, Md Hasan Hafizur Rahman, Mustafa Mahfuz, S. M. Tafsir Hasan, Per Ashorn, Michael J. Barratt, Tahmeed Ahmed, Jeffrey I. Gordon

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Globally, stunting affects ∼150 million children under five, while wasting affects nearly 50 million. Current interventions have had limited effectiveness in ameliorating long-term sequelae of undernutrition including stunting, cognitive deficits and immune dysfunction. Disrupted development of the gut microbiota has been linked to the pathogenesis of undernutrition, providing potentially new treatment approaches.

METHODS: 124 Bangladeshi children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) enrolled (at 12-18 months) in a previously reported 3-month RCT of a microbiota-directed complementary food (MDCF-2) were followed for two years. Weight and length were monitored by anthropometry, the abundances of bacterial strains were assessed by quantifying metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) in serially collected fecal samples and levels of growth-associated proteins were measured in plasma.

FINDINGS: Children who had received MDCF-2 were significantly less stunted during follow-up than those who received a standard ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) [linear mixed-effects model, βtreatment group x study week (95% CI) = 0.002 (0.001, 0.003); P = 0.004]. They also had elevated fecal abundances of Agathobacter faecis, Blautia massiliensis, Lachnospira and Dialister, plus increased levels of a group of 37 plasma proteins (linear model; FDR-adjusted P < 0.1), including IGF-1, neurotrophin receptor NTRK2 and multiple proteins linked to musculoskeletal and CNS development, that persisted for 6-months post-intervention.

INTERPRETATION: MDCF-2 treatment of Bangladeshi children with MAM, which produced significant improvements in wasting during intervention, also reduced stunting during follow-up. These results suggest that the effectiveness of supplementary foods for undernutrition may be improved by including ingredients that sponsor healthy microbiota-host co-development.

FUNDING: This work was supported by the BMGF (Grants OPP1134649/INV-000247).

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	105166
Journal	Ebiomedicine
Volume	104
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105166
Publication status	Published - Jun 2024
Publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

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Mostafa, a microbiota-directed complementary food intervention improves linear groweth among Bangladeshi children, eBiomedicine, 2024-1Final published version, 725 KBLicence: CC BY

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202406067001Licence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{17bf84b686b445e9893b004c5554c155,

title = "A microbiota-directed complementary food intervention in 12-18-month-old Bangladeshi children improves linear growth",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Globally, stunting affects ∼150 million children under five, while wasting affects nearly 50 million. Current interventions have had limited effectiveness in ameliorating long-term sequelae of undernutrition including stunting, cognitive deficits and immune dysfunction. Disrupted development of the gut microbiota has been linked to the pathogenesis of undernutrition, providing potentially new treatment approaches.METHODS: 124 Bangladeshi children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) enrolled (at 12-18 months) in a previously reported 3-month RCT of a microbiota-directed complementary food (MDCF-2) were followed for two years. Weight and length were monitored by anthropometry, the abundances of bacterial strains were assessed by quantifying metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) in serially collected fecal samples and levels of growth-associated proteins were measured in plasma.FINDINGS: Children who had received MDCF-2 were significantly less stunted during follow-up than those who received a standard ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) [linear mixed-effects model, βtreatment group x study week (95% CI) = 0.002 (0.001, 0.003); P = 0.004]. They also had elevated fecal abundances of Agathobacter faecis, Blautia massiliensis, Lachnospira and Dialister, plus increased levels of a group of 37 plasma proteins (linear model; FDR-adjusted P < 0.1), including IGF-1, neurotrophin receptor NTRK2 and multiple proteins linked to musculoskeletal and CNS development, that persisted for 6-months post-intervention.INTERPRETATION: MDCF-2 treatment of Bangladeshi children with MAM, which produced significant improvements in wasting during intervention, also reduced stunting during follow-up. These results suggest that the effectiveness of supplementary foods for undernutrition may be improved by including ingredients that sponsor healthy microbiota-host co-development.FUNDING: This work was supported by the BMGF (Grants OPP1134649/INV-000247).",

author = "Ishita Mostafa and Hibberd, {Matthew C.} and Hartman, {Steven J.} and {Hafizur Rahman}, {Md Hasan} and Mustafa Mahfuz and Hasan, {S. M. Tafsir} and Per Ashorn and Barratt, {Michael J.} and Tahmeed Ahmed and Gordon, {Jeffrey I.}",

year = "2024",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105166",

language = "English",

volume = "104",

pages = "105166",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - A microbiota-directed complementary food intervention in 12-18-month-old Bangladeshi children improves linear growth

AU - Mostafa, Ishita

AU - Hibberd, Matthew C.

AU - Hartman, Steven J.

AU - Hafizur Rahman, Md Hasan

AU - Mahfuz, Mustafa

AU - Hasan, S. M. Tafsir

AU - Ashorn, Per

AU - Barratt, Michael J.

AU - Ahmed, Tahmeed

AU - Gordon, Jeffrey I.

PY - 2024/6

Y1 - 2024/6

N2 - BACKGROUND: Globally, stunting affects ∼150 million children under five, while wasting affects nearly 50 million. Current interventions have had limited effectiveness in ameliorating long-term sequelae of undernutrition including stunting, cognitive deficits and immune dysfunction. Disrupted development of the gut microbiota has been linked to the pathogenesis of undernutrition, providing potentially new treatment approaches.METHODS: 124 Bangladeshi children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) enrolled (at 12-18 months) in a previously reported 3-month RCT of a microbiota-directed complementary food (MDCF-2) were followed for two years. Weight and length were monitored by anthropometry, the abundances of bacterial strains were assessed by quantifying metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) in serially collected fecal samples and levels of growth-associated proteins were measured in plasma.FINDINGS: Children who had received MDCF-2 were significantly less stunted during follow-up than those who received a standard ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) [linear mixed-effects model, βtreatment group x study week (95% CI) = 0.002 (0.001, 0.003); P = 0.004]. They also had elevated fecal abundances of Agathobacter faecis, Blautia massiliensis, Lachnospira and Dialister, plus increased levels of a group of 37 plasma proteins (linear model; FDR-adjusted P < 0.1), including IGF-1, neurotrophin receptor NTRK2 and multiple proteins linked to musculoskeletal and CNS development, that persisted for 6-months post-intervention.INTERPRETATION: MDCF-2 treatment of Bangladeshi children with MAM, which produced significant improvements in wasting during intervention, also reduced stunting during follow-up. These results suggest that the effectiveness of supplementary foods for undernutrition may be improved by including ingredients that sponsor healthy microbiota-host co-development.FUNDING: This work was supported by the BMGF (Grants OPP1134649/INV-000247).

AB - BACKGROUND: Globally, stunting affects ∼150 million children under five, while wasting affects nearly 50 million. Current interventions have had limited effectiveness in ameliorating long-term sequelae of undernutrition including stunting, cognitive deficits and immune dysfunction. Disrupted development of the gut microbiota has been linked to the pathogenesis of undernutrition, providing potentially new treatment approaches.METHODS: 124 Bangladeshi children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) enrolled (at 12-18 months) in a previously reported 3-month RCT of a microbiota-directed complementary food (MDCF-2) were followed for two years. Weight and length were monitored by anthropometry, the abundances of bacterial strains were assessed by quantifying metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) in serially collected fecal samples and levels of growth-associated proteins were measured in plasma.FINDINGS: Children who had received MDCF-2 were significantly less stunted during follow-up than those who received a standard ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) [linear mixed-effects model, βtreatment group x study week (95% CI) = 0.002 (0.001, 0.003); P = 0.004]. They also had elevated fecal abundances of Agathobacter faecis, Blautia massiliensis, Lachnospira and Dialister, plus increased levels of a group of 37 plasma proteins (linear model; FDR-adjusted P < 0.1), including IGF-1, neurotrophin receptor NTRK2 and multiple proteins linked to musculoskeletal and CNS development, that persisted for 6-months post-intervention.INTERPRETATION: MDCF-2 treatment of Bangladeshi children with MAM, which produced significant improvements in wasting during intervention, also reduced stunting during follow-up. These results suggest that the effectiveness of supplementary foods for undernutrition may be improved by including ingredients that sponsor healthy microbiota-host co-development.FUNDING: This work was supported by the BMGF (Grants OPP1134649/INV-000247).

U2 - 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105166

DO - 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105166

M3 - Article

C2 - 38833839

SN - 2352-3964

VL - 104

SP - 105166

JO - Ebiomedicine

JF - Ebiomedicine

ER -

A microbiota-directed complementary food intervention in 12-18-month-old Bangladeshi children improves linear growth

Abstract

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